1
This hinder nycht, halff sleiping as I lay,
Me thocht my chalmer in ane new aray
Was all depent with many diuers hew
Of all the nobill storyis, ald and new,
Sen oure first father formed was of clay.
2
Me thocht the lift all bricht with lampis lycht,
And thairin enterrit many lustie wicht,
Sum young, sum old, in sindry wyse arayit.
Sum sang, sum danceit, on instrumentis sum playit,
Sum maid disportis with hartis glaid and lycht.
3
Thane thocht I thus: this is ane felloun phary,
Or ellis my witt rycht woundrouslie dois varie.
This seimes to me ane guidlie companie,
And gif it be ane feindlie fantasie,
Defend me Ihesu and his moder Marie!
4
Thair pleasant sang nor yett thair pleasant toun
Nor yett thair ioy did to my heart redoun.
Me thocht the drerie damiesall, Distres,
And eik hir sorie sister, Hiwines,
Sad as the leid in baid lay me abone.
5
And Langour satt wp at my beddis heid.
With instrument full lamentable and deid
Scho playit sangis, so duilfull to heir,
Me thocht ane houre seimeit ay ane yeir.
Hir hew was wan and wallowed as the weid.
6
Thane com the ladyis danceing in ane trece,
And Nobilnes befoir thame come ane space,
Saying withe cheir bening and womanly:
" I se ane heir in bed oppressit ly,
My sisteris, go and help to gett him grace."
7
With that anon did start out of a dance
Twa sisteris callit Confort and Pleasance,
And with twa harpis did begin to sing.
Bot I thairof mycht tak na reioseing,
My heavines opprest me with sic mischance.
8
Thay saw that I not glader vox of cheir,
And thairof had thai winder all, but weir,
And said ane lady that Persaueing hecht,
" Of hevines he fiellis sic a wecht,
Your melody he pleisis not till heir.
9
" Scho and Distres, hir sister, dois him greve."
Quod Nobilnes, " Quhow sall he thame eschew?"
Thane spak Discretioun, ane lady richt bening,
" Wirk eftir me, and I sall gar him sing,
And lang or nicht gar Langar tak hir leve."
10
And then said Witt, " Gif thai work not be the,
But onie dout thai sall not work be me."
Discretioun said, " I knaw his melody.
The strok he feillis of melancholie,
And, Nobilnes, his lecheing lyis in the.
11
" Or euir this wicht at heart be haill and feir,
Both thow and I most in the court appeir,
For he hes lang maid seruice thair in vane.
With sum rewaird we mane him quyt againe,
Now in the honour of this guid New Yeir."
12
" Weill worth the, sister", said Considerance,
" And I sall help for to mantene the dance."
Thane spak ane wicht callit Blind Effectioun:
" I sall befoir yow be with myne electioun,
Of all the court I haue the governance."
13
Thane spak ane constant wycht callit Ressoun,
And said, " I grant thow hes beine lord a sessioun
In distributioun, bot now the tyme is gone.
Now I may all distribute myne alone.
Thy wrangous deidis did euir mane enschesoun.
14
" For tyme war now that this mane had sumthing,
That lange hes bene ane seruand to the king,
And all his tyme neuir flatter couthe nor faine,
Bot humblie into ballat wyse complaine
And patientlie indure his tormenting.
15
" I counsall him be mirrie and iocound.
Be Nobilnes his help mon first be found."
" Weill spokin, Ressoun, my brother", quod Discretioun,
" To sett on dies with lordis at the Cessioun
Into this realme thow war worth mony ane pound."
16
Thane spak anone Inoportunitie:
" Ye sall not all gar him speid without me,
For I stand ay befoir the kingis face.
I sall him deiff or ellis my self mak hace,
Bot gif that I befoir him seruit be.
17
" Ane besy askar soonner sall he speid
Na sall twa besy seruandis, out of dreid;
And he that askis, not tynes bot his word,
Bot for to tyne lang seruice is no bourd.
Yett thocht I neuir to do sic folie deid."
18
Thane com anon ane callit Schir Iohne Kirkpakar,
Off many cures ane michtie vndertaker.
Quod he, " I am possest in kirkis sevin,
And yitt I think thai grow sall till ellevin,
Or he be seruit in ane, yone ballet maker.
19
" And then, schir, bet the kirk, sa mot I thryff!
I haif of busie servandis foure or fyve,
And all direct vnto sindrie steidis,
Ay still awaitting vpoun kirkmenes deidis,
Fra quham sum tithingis will I heir belyff."
20
Quod Ressoun than, " The ballance gois vnevin,
That thow, allece, to serff hes kirkis sevin,
And sevin als worth kirk not haifand ane.
With gredines I sie this world ourgane,
And sufficience dwellis nocht bot in heavin."
21
" I haue not wyt thairof", quod Temperance,
" For thocht I hald him evinlie the ballance,
And but ane cuir full micht till him wey,
Yett will he tak ane vther and gar it suey.
Quha best can rewll wald maist haue gouernance."
22
Patience to me, " My freind", said, " Mak guid cheir,
And on the prince depend with humelie feir.
For I full weill dois knaw his nobill intent:
He wald not, for ane bischopperikis rent,
That thow war vnrewairdit half ane yeir."
23
Than as ane fary thai to duir did frak,
And schot ane gone that did so ruidlie rak
Quhill all the aird did raird the ranebow vnder.
On Leith sandis me thocht scho brak in sounder,
And I anon did walkin with the crak.
This hinder nycht, halff sleiping as I lay,
Me thocht my chalmer in ane new aray
Was all depent with many diuers hew
Of all the nobill storyis, ald and new,
Sen oure first father formed was of clay.
2
Me thocht the lift all bricht with lampis lycht,
And thairin enterrit many lustie wicht,
Sum young, sum old, in sindry wyse arayit.
Sum sang, sum danceit, on instrumentis sum playit,
Sum maid disportis with hartis glaid and lycht.
3
Thane thocht I thus: this is ane felloun phary,
Or ellis my witt rycht woundrouslie dois varie.
This seimes to me ane guidlie companie,
And gif it be ane feindlie fantasie,
Defend me Ihesu and his moder Marie!
4
Thair pleasant sang nor yett thair pleasant toun
Nor yett thair ioy did to my heart redoun.
Me thocht the drerie damiesall, Distres,
And eik hir sorie sister, Hiwines,
Sad as the leid in baid lay me abone.
5
And Langour satt wp at my beddis heid.
With instrument full lamentable and deid
Scho playit sangis, so duilfull to heir,
Me thocht ane houre seimeit ay ane yeir.
Hir hew was wan and wallowed as the weid.
6
Thane com the ladyis danceing in ane trece,
And Nobilnes befoir thame come ane space,
Saying withe cheir bening and womanly:
" I se ane heir in bed oppressit ly,
My sisteris, go and help to gett him grace."
7
With that anon did start out of a dance
Twa sisteris callit Confort and Pleasance,
And with twa harpis did begin to sing.
Bot I thairof mycht tak na reioseing,
My heavines opprest me with sic mischance.
8
Thay saw that I not glader vox of cheir,
And thairof had thai winder all, but weir,
And said ane lady that Persaueing hecht,
" Of hevines he fiellis sic a wecht,
Your melody he pleisis not till heir.
9
" Scho and Distres, hir sister, dois him greve."
Quod Nobilnes, " Quhow sall he thame eschew?"
Thane spak Discretioun, ane lady richt bening,
" Wirk eftir me, and I sall gar him sing,
And lang or nicht gar Langar tak hir leve."
10
And then said Witt, " Gif thai work not be the,
But onie dout thai sall not work be me."
Discretioun said, " I knaw his melody.
The strok he feillis of melancholie,
And, Nobilnes, his lecheing lyis in the.
11
" Or euir this wicht at heart be haill and feir,
Both thow and I most in the court appeir,
For he hes lang maid seruice thair in vane.
With sum rewaird we mane him quyt againe,
Now in the honour of this guid New Yeir."
12
" Weill worth the, sister", said Considerance,
" And I sall help for to mantene the dance."
Thane spak ane wicht callit Blind Effectioun:
" I sall befoir yow be with myne electioun,
Of all the court I haue the governance."
13
Thane spak ane constant wycht callit Ressoun,
And said, " I grant thow hes beine lord a sessioun
In distributioun, bot now the tyme is gone.
Now I may all distribute myne alone.
Thy wrangous deidis did euir mane enschesoun.
14
" For tyme war now that this mane had sumthing,
That lange hes bene ane seruand to the king,
And all his tyme neuir flatter couthe nor faine,
Bot humblie into ballat wyse complaine
And patientlie indure his tormenting.
15
" I counsall him be mirrie and iocound.
Be Nobilnes his help mon first be found."
" Weill spokin, Ressoun, my brother", quod Discretioun,
" To sett on dies with lordis at the Cessioun
Into this realme thow war worth mony ane pound."
16
Thane spak anone Inoportunitie:
" Ye sall not all gar him speid without me,
For I stand ay befoir the kingis face.
I sall him deiff or ellis my self mak hace,
Bot gif that I befoir him seruit be.
17
" Ane besy askar soonner sall he speid
Na sall twa besy seruandis, out of dreid;
And he that askis, not tynes bot his word,
Bot for to tyne lang seruice is no bourd.
Yett thocht I neuir to do sic folie deid."
18
Thane com anon ane callit Schir Iohne Kirkpakar,
Off many cures ane michtie vndertaker.
Quod he, " I am possest in kirkis sevin,
And yitt I think thai grow sall till ellevin,
Or he be seruit in ane, yone ballet maker.
19
" And then, schir, bet the kirk, sa mot I thryff!
I haif of busie servandis foure or fyve,
And all direct vnto sindrie steidis,
Ay still awaitting vpoun kirkmenes deidis,
Fra quham sum tithingis will I heir belyff."
20
Quod Ressoun than, " The ballance gois vnevin,
That thow, allece, to serff hes kirkis sevin,
And sevin als worth kirk not haifand ane.
With gredines I sie this world ourgane,
And sufficience dwellis nocht bot in heavin."
21
" I haue not wyt thairof", quod Temperance,
" For thocht I hald him evinlie the ballance,
And but ane cuir full micht till him wey,
Yett will he tak ane vther and gar it suey.
Quha best can rewll wald maist haue gouernance."
22
Patience to me, " My freind", said, " Mak guid cheir,
And on the prince depend with humelie feir.
For I full weill dois knaw his nobill intent:
He wald not, for ane bischopperikis rent,
That thow war vnrewairdit half ane yeir."
23
Than as ane fary thai to duir did frak,
And schot ane gone that did so ruidlie rak
Quhill all the aird did raird the ranebow vnder.
On Leith sandis me thocht scho brak in sounder,
And I anon did walkin with the crak.